As It Should Be
by Esmooria
Summary: When Kagome makes her wish on the Shikon No Tama, her life is turned upside down. Suddenly back in her own time, no one remembers her adventures to the Feudal Era...except her, and the most unlikely member of her past: the cold-hearted taiyoukai.
1. Make A Wish

**A/N: **Okay, so, I know I haven't even come close to finishing (or starting, really) on my other story, but who says I can't do two at once? :P I thought of this yesterday, and I was just so excited about it that I had to go ahead and start. I don't even have the outline finished, but I knew exactly how I wanted the first few chapters, so I thought I'd go ahead and post it and see what you all think! I think it could definitely be categorized as a drama, but if you all disagree, let me know and I might change it. :]

ANYWAY--this story might be a little depressing for the first few chapters, but it gets better, I PROMISE! All hope is not lost for poor Kagome. :D

Word Count--1,543

Enjoy!

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**Make A Wish**

The battle was bloody. There was no doubt about that, as Kagome looked around the carnage-layered battlefield. And that would at least have been tolerable, if it was _over_. And it should have been. Naraku was dead, and Kagome had the completed jewel. She hadn't been paying attention to who dealt the final blow; it hadn't really mattered to her. Inuyasha was what mattered.

Kouga, Kikyo, and Sesshomaru had all joined them in the final battle. Kouga had already given Kagome his jewel shards before the battle began, but he was still faster than the rest, and he was able to take out a large number of Naraku's mindless demons. Kikyo had been a lot of help as well, destroying many with her sacred arrows. And Sesshomaru had taken hundreds out at a time with his Tokijin.

Why was the battle still going on? Kagome looked around, panicked. Inuyasha was half-unconscious on the ground beside her, and she hadn't left his side since several of Naraku's tentacles had pierced him all over. Kagura had switched sides and was fighting with them ever since her heart beat in her chest again. But the demons kept coming.

"K…Kagome…" came Inuyasha's weak voice as he reached out and took her hand. Kagome couldn't keep her eyes from welling up with tears in seeing him like this. She'd seen him pretty beat up before, but this…this was worse, somehow.

"This isn't right. Naraku is dead! Everything should be over!" She tore her eyes away from Inuyasha to find Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all surrounded by demons, although they were holding their own quite well. She could only guess that Miroku was lamenting the loss of his wind tunnel right about now.

"…I have to make the wish." She looked at Inuyasha pleadingly, as if she wanted his permission. "I have to end this!"

Inuyasha's hand tightened around her own and she could've sworn she saw something like fear flash across his eyes—something she only saw in him when she was involved. "What are you going to wish for?"

Hesitating, Kagome looked down at the jewel. It was completely pure, but she knew if she waited much longer, it might become tainted with her own doubts and desires. "…I'm going to wish that everything goes back to the way it's supposed to be. The way it should've been—the way it should be." She had no doubt that this was the _right_ thing to wish for; however, it was not what she wanted to wish for at all. She wanted to wish that the battle would end and that she and Inuyasha could live a happy life together. But she knew that was selfish.

"What if…what if that means we can't be together?" Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly as his thoughts mimicked hers. "Isn't there anything you can wish that can guarantee that?" His voice quivered; he knew he was asking without any hope of a positive answer.

"Not without making it a selfish wish." Her voice was barely above a whisper now as she looked at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, I love you. Don't ever forget that—no matter what happens."

Despite his injuries, he managed a nod. "I love you too, Kagome. Always will." They'd never officially admitted their love for one another before, but with the possibility of either death or eternal separation hanging above their heads, it seemed petty to let something like pride or embarrassment get in the way.

He struggled to push himself up, but Kagome gently placed a hand on his left shoulder—one of the very few places that he wasn't injured—and kept him down. She knew what he was going to do anyway, and she wasn't about to let himself get even more hurt to do it. So instead, she bent down and placed a sweet kiss on his lips, smiling through the tears as they parted.

She stared down at the jewel again, and she couldn't help but feel like she was saying goodbye. She didn't have time to tell any of the others—she felt like her wish would end this battle and save their lives. If nothing else, she would be thankful for that.

And so she closed her hands around the jewel and placed it next to her heart. "I wish for everything to be as it should be," she murmured quietly, but that was all it took. The jewel vanished instantly, and Kagome opened her eyes in panic, half expecting to find that everything was the same and half expecting to find everything gone. Instead, she noticed the world around her fading, and her heart dropped as she realized that the second option was taking form around her. She was leaving the feudal era—possibly forever.

Inuyasha tried to hold her hand more tightly to keep the girl from fading right before his eyes, but it was too late. He couldn't touch her—and he could barely see her anymore. And then, she was gone.

* * *

As the world around Kagome faded into blackness, the sounds of the feudal era drowning out, another sound could be heard in the background—getting louder and louder. _Beep, beep, beep, beep…_ She tried to cover her ears to keep the annoying sound out, but she found that her arms were not obeying her wishes. She couldn't move…at all. And she couldn't open her eyes. What was going on with her? Had she unknowingly wished herself dead? It was possible, with all the times Inuyasha saved her from death—had she already lived past her time?

But then the beeping got faster and faster. And slowly—very slowly—she started regaining feeling, and was able to move her hand a little. She thought she could hear a soft murmuring of voices, but she couldn't be sure.

"…Kagome?" This voice rang loud and clear—and Kagome found her eyes shooting open as she sat straight up, terrified. "Kagome!!"

"…M-mom?" Her eyes finally focused in on her, although she was dizzy from sitting up so quickly. That was when Kagome realized she was in a hospital room. She looked around the room carefully, and with sudden horror realized that this was _her_ hospital room. She was hooked up to cords, and the annoying beeping had slowed down considerably, which she had just realized was her heart rate.

"Kagome!" Mrs. Higurashi cried again, tears streaming down her face as she bent over to hug her daughter. Within seconds, Kagome's hospital gown was soaked, but Kagome didn't particularly care—she was so relieved to not be dead, and to be able to see her mother again, that a little bit of wetness didn't bother her at all.

As Kagome hugged her mother, her eyes scanned the room again. There were balloons and cards—but they weren't just worded with 'get well soon.' There were birthday cards, too! And suddenly, Kagome felt silly for forgetting—the battle with Naraku had been on her nineteenth birthday. But how did all of her birthday stuff get here in such a short amount of time? She had discussed with her family that they would all just have to wait and celebrate with her the next time she was able to get home—and she certainly hadn't expected it to actually arrive on the day.

"Mom…what happened? How'd I get in the hospital so quickly?"

"So quickly?" Mrs. Higurashi stepped back and blinked, finally drying some of the tears. "Well, I guess you have no real concept of time when you're in a coma." She bit her lip—that wasn't exactly the way she'd planned on telling her daughter about what had happened.

"A coma?!"

"Kagome, sweetie, you fell in the well." Mrs. Higurashi took a seat by the bed as she looked at her daughter intently.

"Well, yeah, that's pretty obvious, but—"

"Four years ago," Kagome's mom interrupted, giving Kagome a moment to process the information. "You broke almost every bone in your body, and you've been in a coma for four years. The doctors always had a feeling you'd come out of it, though—you always had a high amount of activity in your brain, so there was no way they could think you were brain-dead," she said with a soft smile.

Kagome sat there numbly. Had it all been a dream? A very intense dream—one that had apparently kept people from allowing her to life to be terminated—but a dream nonetheless? And then she did what Mrs. Higurashi had been expecting all along: she broke into tears.

Mrs. Higurashi leaned forward and gave her daughter's hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll go call Grampa and Souta. I'll talk to the doctors about getting you home, but for now, I'll leave you here to…process."

She didn't even bother to give any sign that she'd heard what her mother had said. She just sat there, crying, latching on to every memory she had of the feudal era and wondering if it had all been real. And part of her realized she didn't care if it had been real—she wanted it back, even if it was just delusional. She'd give anything to have the delusion back, and not be sitting in a hospital bed, sobbing, alone.


	2. The Doctor

**A/N: **Okay, so I forgot to mention something. This is a CU, up until the battle with Naraku and the wish Kagome makes on the jewel. In the manga, Sesshomaru gets his arm back when he gives up on trying to get Tetsusaiga and gives up Tenseiga's power to Inuyasha, as well as getting his new sword along with it. So, Sesshomaru does have both of his arms in this--sorry I forgot to mention that earlier! :]

Hm, as for other notes...I probably won't be able to update this as often as I have already. I am about to get bombarded with final papers, and those will have to take priority since, well...it's school. And college papers tend to be a little harder...but, I wanted to give you something other than just the first chapter to hang on to, and since I already had pretty much in mind what I wanted to happen here, it was pretty easy to write.

Enjoy!

Word Count: 1,412

**The Doctor**

The doctor peered into Kagome's room through the window in the door, holding out his hand to caution Mrs. Higurashi from looking. She was still sobbing—and it had been two hours. He let out a soft sigh as he turned to her and shook his head.

"It would probably be a good idea to keep her here overnight. Come back in the morning," he said decidedly, and Mrs. Higurashi nodded.

"All right." She grabbed her coat and turned to leave, but turned back to the doctor with a soft smile. "Thank you, Doctor, for caring for her for so long. And for giving us hope that she would wake up. It's not very often that doctors will do that, you know—to avoid getting the family's hopes up. But you knew somehow, didn't you?"

He said nothing, and Mrs. Higurashi wasn't expecting him to. She also wasn't expecting him to smile back—which he met her expectations in as well. So she left, excited to go home and talk to her father and Souta about all the things they would do now that Kagome was out of her coma.

……………

She felt like all her tears had dried up. She'd cried for two hours straight, wringing the hospital blanket in her hands and using it to wipe away the tears. And now, she just sat there, staring at the wall.

She stifled a yawn, surprised that after an apparent four-year coma she had any tiredness left in her at all. After all, she'd apparently been sleeping for four years. When the door opened, she almost jumped three feet in the air—she hadn't expected anybody to come in after all this time. But she didn't really acknowledge his presence, or even look at him as the doctor came in. She was too busy thinking.

And he didn't say anything to her, either.

Normally she would have found that strange, but right now something as little as that didn't really bother her. Instead, she tried to focus on concrete things. Rather fearfully, she held her arm out in front of her and held her palm up, looking at her wrist for the scar that should be there—one of her more noticeable scars from a battle with a youkai, though she didn't remember which one.

She wasn't expecting it to be there, which is why she screamed when she saw it—a very distinct yet thin, jagged line going vertically on her wrist.

The doctor suppressed a growl as his sensitive ears throbbed at the sound of the scream. It was time to say something, he decided.

"All the scars will be there, but they all have different explanations. There is no need to scream."

For the first time, Kagome looked up. Her eyes widened as far as humanly possible as they focused on the doctor, more than surprised that she actually _knew_ him.

"Sesshomaru?"

* * *

_500 Years Ago_

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as they fell on his brother and his wench, after fighting off a rather large number of mindless youkai quite easily. Was Inuyasha down for the count so easily? Sure, he had a few wounds, but that shouldn't make him incapable of fighting—although, and Sesshomaru would _never_ admit this out loud, the wounds Inuyasha had received did look rather debilitating.

He let out a sigh of disgust as he saw what they were doing. They were confessing their love for one another—really, now? Was this _really_ the time for that? And that girl was just sitting there tending to his half-breed of a brother, not doing anything to contribute to the battle. Not that he was entirely surprised—in his few battles with them, if one of them was out, essentially both of them were out. He'd never understand it.

Shaking his head, he turned and continued to fight off Naraku's minions, who, despite his death, were still coming from seemingly out of nowhere. It was rather unsettling, even for him. After a few more moments of this, Sesshomaru felt something. The easiest way to describe it was a ripple, but it went through him like lightening, causing him to fall back and look away. When he looked back again to the youkai he had been fighting, he was surprised to see that they were gone. Looking all around him, all the corpses from the youkai he'd already killed were gone, too.

He sheathed his sword, not thinking much about it, and he turned around to find Inuyasha again. Although he was not cowardly enough to fight off his brother with injuries like that, he wanted to make it perfectly clear that just because he had helped with Naraku did not mean that their dual as brothers was over. But, for the second time in as many moments, Sesshomaru was surprised.

Inuyasha was standing there, perfectly fine. He was running to the others—Sango, Miroku, and Shippo—with Kagome nowhere in sight. He hadn't seen her fading from this world, but he was sure she _had_ been here a moment ago…

He quietly walked over to the group, and stopped midway there. Where had Kagura gone? She had vanished with the rest of Naraku's minions, he supposed, but hadn't she been on their side in the end?

And suddenly, a whole new flood of memories rushed into his mind—memories that were clashing and overlapping the memories he had previously had, and he couldn't help but notice that none of these memories included the girl that had become so attached to Inuyasha, who he had honestly not taken the time to learn her name. Something strange had happened…and, for once, Sesshomaru was curious.

"Inuyasha. Where is your wench?" Sesshomaru asked as he approached the group, and Inuyasha turned to him with a growl, about to speak. But he was beaten to the punch.

"I would ask you not to call me such things," Kikyo cut in as she appeared from behind the trees, walking calmly up to the group. Sesshomaru eyed the three others, who appeared slightly uncomfortable at her sudden appearance, but he knew that they would say nothing.

"What of the other girl that travelled in your group?" he asked, taking care not to curl up his nose at the sudden stench of death and grave dirt Kikyo always had around her.

"There was no one else," Inuyasha commented with a raised eyebrow, "Why do you care all of a sudden, anyway?"

Turning, Sesshomaru did not dignify him with an answer. "I will defeat you on another day; today is not the time," he said instead. He stopped, turning his head only slightly as his two wards appeared from their hiding spot.

"Rin, Jaken. Come," he ordered calmly, and began walking without looking to see if they would follow. They always did, and he knew today was no different, even though everything else was.

* * *

"Kagome," Sesshomaru finally replied after staring at the girl for a few, long moments. He wasn't sure what reaction he'd been expecting of the girl, but the sigh of relief that followed his memory of her was not exactly it. Nor were the tears that seemed to slip down her face as the sound of his voice. But, she wasn't really expecting that, either.

"It did happen," she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes and no." She looked up at him questioningly at his reply, but he simply shook his head. "You will no doubt have many questions, but now is not the time to answer them. We will meet later, and we will discuss them. For now, you will dry your tears, go home, and act as if nothing is wrong." He paused. "After being in the hospital for four years, being sent to a psyche ward would not be in your best interest."

Questions flooding her mind, Kagome just nodded as Sesshomaru turned to leave.

"Wait," she pleaded, and he hesitated at the door, turning his head so that he could see her out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes?" he inquired, only after she did not continue.

"You're a doctor?" He couldn't help but notice the barely perceptible smile on her face, or the way that she actually seemed somewhat amused.

"Yes, I am."

He left her room, not surprised that he could smell the salty tears only moments after closing the door. He stayed outside her room until she fell into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

**End Note: **Yes, I do realize that I said he never cared to learn her name, but he did know her name here. You will find out how he learned it later, but also, keep in mind that she was his patient, so of course he would know her name by now. :] I just thought I'd say that in case anyone got confused...

So yeah. Review please! I reply to all of them. :D


	3. Forgotten

**A/N:** Okay, sorry it's taken me awhile to update. I've had crazy amounts of homework and papers due--and, actually, I still have two papers due next week. Also, my laptop charger broke and I didn't have access to the story to write anymore chapters. BUT you all don't care about that--you just want to get to the story!

Credit to janey-in-a-bottle for pointing out that it would be strange for a person who was in a coma for that long to be able to just go home. I honestly didn't think about it, but this chapter does address that a little, and either the next chapter or the chapter after that will address it further. Please continue to review! I read and (try to) respond to every one! If I didn't respond to your review last time, I apologize--not every review sent to my email, and I just found out a couple days ago how to find them on here. Anyway, enough excuses and onto the story!

Word Count: 2,503

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Forgotten

It had been three weeks since Kagome had left the hospital. She hadn't seen Sesshomaru since that next morning when he discharged her—to the surprise of the rest of the hospital. Most coma patients had to have some sort of physical therapy after being in a coma for so long, but Kagome had no such need—probably, Kagome had mused silently, because she had actually been in the feudal era for that entire time. But, that was just another question she was adding to the list of what to ask Sesshomaru when they finally met again.

That morning, Kagome had woken up to breakfast in bed—yet again. Her family was showering her with undivided attention, which was nice, but she felt it was unnecessary. She had to remember that for them, she had been completely unresponsive for four years, rather than being in the feudal era and visiting frequently.

She gave a small sigh as she ran a brush through her hair for the last time before exiting the bathroom and walking downstairs. Donned in khakis and a sweater, she smiled as she turned around for her mother to see. "How do I look…presentable?"

"You look quite nice—why do you ask?" Her mother was still surprised with the grace that Kagome carried herself; it just wasn't natural for someone who had been out that long. She had also recovered from the news quite quickly—by the next morning she was her usual, cheery self. She couldn't help but think that something was up, but she kept silent anyway.

"I was going to go to the mall and apply for some jobs. I thought it would be good to look presentable in case any places are giving interviews right off the bat," she said with a light shrug.

"You want to get a job already? You've barely been out of the hospital for three weeks!" Mrs. Higurashi tried to hide the disappointment in her voice and masked it with a teasing tone. Her daughter had been out of her life for four years, and already she was trying to get out of the house!

"Mom, I'm fine—plus, hospital bills are expensive. If I could at least be self-sufficient so you won't have to keep buying me things, I know it could help." She smoothed the sweater she was wearing—it was one of the many items of clothing that Mrs. Higurashi had bought for her after she had gotten home.

"Insurance paid for all of it," Mrs. Higurashi commented with a wave of her hand, "Dr. Taisho made sure of that."

"…he did?" Kagome had stopped dead in her tracks, her hand still outstretched for her purse as she turned to look at her mother with wide eyes. She quickly recovered, trying to mask her surprise as she turned back to her, leaving her purse as it was on the table. "How did we get so lucky as to have him as a doctor?" Her question was serious, although she had tried to ask it as if she wasn't really that curious.

"It was strange, really—he happened to be walking by right as you fell in the well! He heard Souta's screaming and came in immediately; he was even the one to get you out of the well. When we found out he was a doctor, there was just no other choice for us," Mrs. Higurashi said with a happy smile.

"That is strange," she murmured softly as she turned to get her purse again. "Well, I think I'll apply for some jobs anyway—it would be nice to have a little extra cash, anyhow." She turned and smiled to her mother just as Souta walked in.

"You're going to the mall? Can I come too?" he asked eagerly, not hiding the fact that he had been eavesdropping from the next room.

"Sure, Souta," she said with a laugh as she ruffled his hair, "Come on, then."

"I'm not twelve anymore," he complained lightly as her hand messed up his hair, but then he bit his lip and looked down as if he had said something to offend her. By now Kagome knew how to act the part—and she should have been upset that her brother would say that, if she really _was_ in a coma for four years, because it would remind her of the fact that she had missed out on four years of her life.

"It's okay," she said after a moment of making herself look somewhat distressed, and she followed it with a bright smile as she grabbed his arm. "Let's go!"

* * *

The mall was certainly the last place she had expected to see Sesshomaru—but there he was, in a store looking at coats. Quickly turning to Souta, she handed him a $10 bill and motioned towards the arcade. "You _do_ still like video games, right?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes, but I'm also old enough to realize that you're only doing this because you don't want me to know something." He grinned as he took the $10 bill and looked towards the arcade. "Luckily for you, I'm perfectly okay with that. Just come get me when you're done doing…whatever." He laughed and waved bye as he dashed into the arcade.

"See yah," she called after him, relieved at his willingness to give her some privacy. She reminded herself to thank him later. She turned around to go into the store Sesshomaru was in—and almost screamed when he was standing right there, looking at her.

"You startle easily," he commented, arching a brow at her as Kagome frowned.

"Well, you were in the coat store last time I looked! I wasn't expecting you to be…you know, right _there_," she indicated the spot he was standing with her hand. "Please…" she pleaded after a moment, "I've got so many questions."

"I know. Come with me, we will not go far." With that he turned around, no doubt expecting her to follow him without question, which she did. She was only slightly surprised that he still had an air of superiority about him—he expected people to do as he said, even in this era. But she supposed the fact that he not only didn't try to kill her, but perhaps saved her life altogether, was definitely an improvement.

They went to the end of the mall, which had a restaurant attached. Kagome was slightly confused as Sesshomaru entered the restaurant, still quietly following him and trying to appear as if she thought nothing strange about it.

"Table for two, in a private area," Sesshomaru said, still having that authoritative tone in his voice.

"Of course, Dr. Taisho," the hostess said immediately as she motioned for the two of them to follow. She seemed so unsurprised about it—Kagome wondered if he did this frequently.

"I have a question for you, first," Sesshomaru said after they had been seated and the waitress gone. Kagome's eyes widened slightly in surprise but she just silently nodded, wondering what on earth he might actually have to ask _her._ "…what is the wish that you made on the jewel?"

Kagome looked down, biting her lip. She took a moment to answer, and when she did, her eyes watered slightly. "I wished for everything to be as it should be."

"Hn," was Sesshomaru's only comment. When he said nothing more, Kagome took it as her queue to start asking questions.

"Is Inuyasha alive?" It was unsurprising to him that this was her first question—he had been expecting it, and yet he was still unprepared when she asked it. He looked at her a long while before answering.

"Yes," he said hesitatingly. If he was surprised when Kagome immediately shot up from her seat at his answer, he didn't show it.

"Where is he? I have to find him! He must have been so worried about me…" Inuyasha's death was the number one thing she had been afraid of. Sesshomaru's quiet gaze was enough to stop her from leaving, and then—she realized it. He hadn't come for her. It was Sesshomaru, not Inuyasha, that had brought her out of the well and taken her to the hospital. Was 500 years enough to make his love for her die?

"There is much to discuss," Sesshomaru said, his gaze still held on her. He could see the pain on her face—the pain of the realization that Inuyasha was alive, but had made no move to see her. He found himself wondering whether this realization, or finding out that Inuyasha did not remember her, would hurt more.

"Why didn't he come for me?" Her brown eyes seemed to pierce through him, her voice barely a whisper as she sat back down, tears brimming over.

"You have to understand…" Sesshomaru started, but paused as the waitress came back in with their drinks.

"…I'll come back in a few minutes," the waitress said quickly, rushing out of the room as soon as she could. Sesshomaru's eyes fell on Kagome again.

"You never went to the feudal era. When you disappeared, no one remembered you. Everything that you did in the feudal era was erased."

"But…but _you_…you remember, and you hardly said two words to me back then!" Kagome's tears were running freely now; she didn't care to keep up her façade. "_Why?_"

Sesshomaru's confident air faltered for just a moment before the mask of indifference settled on his face once more. "I do not know," he said finally. "There was one other to remember—most of the information I have, I got it from her."

_

* * *

_

500 Years Ago

"Lady Kaede! Lady Kaede!" Rin ran excitedly to the old woman, letting out a small giggle as she did so. "Lord Sesshomaru said we could visit with you for awhile!"

"Yes, child, we had made a previous arrangement that ye would be staying with me." She paused, raising her uncovered eyebrow. "Wait…we?"

"I am seeking information; I thought you might be of help." Sesshomaru's gaze seemed to warn her against any further questions.

"Very well," Kaede conceded after a moment. Laying a hand on Rin's head, she smiled down at the child. "I will be back soon—It seems Lord Sesshomaru and I have matters to discuss." Rin nodded and bent down to examine the garden Kaede had just been tending, not asking any questions.

When Kaede looked up again, Sesshomaru had already turned and began walking into the forest. Sighing, Kaede followed him—silently wondering if it could possibly have anything to do with Kagome. She quickly shook the thought aside; if Inuyasha even didn't remember her, surely Sesshomaru didn't. After all, she had not technically ever been there.

"My inquiry is about the Shikon No Tama," Sesshomaru began hesitatingly. He wasn't sure how he could phrase this without mentioning Inuyasha's wench—and he had not received the piece of information that Kagome was the one to bring it back into the world. "And the way in which it might bring about certain wishes," he continued after a moment.

"Ye remember her, too, then…" Kaede said at length, studying Sesshomaru all the while.

"Inuyasha's wench?" Sesshomaru asked, arching a slender brow in the old miko's direction.

"Kagome," Kaede supplied, a knowing smile on her lips as she shook her head. "I knew it couldn't be just me who remembered her—fate is surely not that cruel."

There was silence for a few moments as the taiyoukai and old miko studied one another.

"Hn," Sesshomaru began, "Well, you remembering her certainly makes things easier." He paused, and when she didn't prod for anything more in depth like he expected her to, he continued. "The girl made a wish on the Shikon No Tama, and subsequently vanished from this world altogether."

"Aye, she did." Kaede said nothing more and simply waited for Sesshomaru to continue.

Sesshomaru stood there in silence, irritated, now that he realized that he was going to have to go even more in depth with what he wanted to know, since the old miko was not freely offering the information that he sought.

"And…?" she prodded gently, still patiently waiting for him to continue.

"I'm curious as to what wish she might have made that caused her to cease from existing, and why no one remembers her but you or I." He also wanted to know what became of the girl, out of pure curiosity, but he was never going to admit to _that_.

"She never revealed to any of us what she planned to wish on the Jewel," she began, never breaking eye contact with the taiyoukai. "So I know not what she wished. But I suspect, whatever it was, sent her back to her own time, and prevented her from coming back." She let out a heavy sigh—the only sign she'd given thus far that she wasn't entirely indifferent to the situation. "It also made it as if she were never here. Ye have two sets of memories, do ye not?" When Sesshomaru gave a curt nod at her question, she continued. "So it is with myself. My memories are split in two—memories of Kagome being here, and memories as if she were never to exist in this time."

"You said she returned to her time. What do you mean?" He had, of course, never paid enough attention to her to know about the well or that she came from a different time. Her ridiculous clothes were enough to tip him off that she was strange, but nothing more.

"Kagome comes from a time 500 years from now—in the future. She used the Bone Eater's Well to travel by. She called her home Tokyo."

Sesshomaru hid his surprise well when he heard the news, only bending his head in acknowledgement towards Kaede. "I request that you give me all the information you know about this situation. If it is only you and I that know, it would benefit us both alike to have all the information we can."

Kaede nodded, not masking her surprise about Sesshomaru's interest in the matter. Of course, if everything he knew had changed all of a sudden, Kaede guessed that even the stoic taiyoukai might be interested. And she could already tell that he wasn't nearly as heartless as Inuyasha made him out to be.

"I have a request to ask of ye as well," Kaede began before telling him of what she knew. At an arched brow from Sesshomaru, she smiled and continued. "When ye live to Kagome's time—find her. Let her know that she was not entirely forgotten, lest she forget us or think it were not real."

Sesshomaru thought about it for a few moments, and then nodded his consent. He was over 500 years old already, and he had no doubt that he would still be living 500 years from that day. "I shall, if you tell me how to go about doing so."

**

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**End Note:** Don't worry, there will be more explanations in the next chapter. I haven't written it yet, but I'm 99% sure that it will start with Sesshomaru and Kagome still at the restaurant. :] Review please!


	4. Hope

**Authors Note:** Oh my goodness, I'm sorry it's been so long! I have an excuse--well, sort of. First of all, my laptop pooped out, so I had to get a new one. And I just transferred my documents over TODAY...and I've had the laptop since December! So it's not much of an excuse, especially since I'm temporarily out of school and only working on the weeknds, but I _have_ been busy--though I'm not really sure how.

Anyway, I thought I owed you all an update of this story before starting any new ones, but I do have a few ideas in the works, so keep your eyes out if you want! :)

Word Count: 1,384

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**Hope**

"So…Lady Kaede remembered me, too?" Kagome finally asked, after her many tears had stopped flowing. After a small nod from Sesshomaru, she let out a long breath of air. "But…not Inuyasha. Not Sango—not Miroku, not Shippo, not Kirara. Not Kouga…or…Rin, or Kohaku. Or…anyone else but you and Kaede?"

"You are correct," Sesshomaru confirmed, though he thought it was unnecessary for her to try to name everyone in the feudal era that had forgotten her.

"So…what happened to them? My friends, I mean…do you remember?" Sesshomaru had not been one to pay much attention to his half-breed brother's group, and she knew that…but she still held hope that he might remember _something_. Earning a slow nod in her direction, Kagome's near-emotionless face brightened slightly in spite of herself, her eyes begging him to tell her. And with a sigh, he conceded.

"The houshi and taijiya married happily, the curse he had gone. They had seven…no, eight…children, I believe. They died of old age, but happily—I believe their descendants still live around this area in Japan." Kagome's eyes brightened, allowing herself a small bit of hope, though she knew it was no good. Even if she were to locate Sango and Miroku's descendants, what would she tell them? It's not like they would know of her—any family legends entailing Naraku certainly wouldn't mention her, since, according to pretty much everyone, she wasn't actually there, and if she tried to tell her story, she'd end up in a psyche ward. "Kaede passed away shortly after seeing their fourth child born, partly from age and partly from illness. The dead miko and Inuyasha were there to see her off."

The hurt in Kagome's eyes was obvious as she looked up at Sesshomaru. _That's right…if I was never there, Kikyo and Inuyasha would've ended up together, right?_ "Kikyo…and Inuyasha?" She wanted clarification—she _needed_ it.

"Yes," he began, although he seemed hesitant. It wasn't so much that he _cared_ about the heartbroken miko in front of him—but he didn't want to start another torrent of tears; it was quite bothersome to him. Still, he knew he needed to continue. "Since you were never there, the old witch was much more successful in bringing the miko back to life. She had her own, full soul, and did not need to feed off of the souls of others. She was the one to release Inuyasha from the tree, only to kill him—but was unable to move forward with her plans as intended. Upon discovering it was Naraku who set them up, they joined together to defeat him—running into the rest of the group along the way."

"So…Kikyo completely took my place." Kagome's eyes were watering, and while the tears were threatening to spill over, it appeared that she was in no danger of sobbing uncontrollably.

"Yes," Sesshomaru stated again, and though he still carried his characteristic emotionless tone, Kagome couldn't help but feel it was a bit softer this time. But it was probably her imagination. "After Naraku was defeated—which was much easier because the Shikon No Tama never re-entered the feudal era—my half-breed brother and his miko mated. Since she was already dead, she endured much longer than a normal human would, meeting her final end around a century later in some battle."

He paused, and when Kagome said nothing in response to this, he continued. "The kitsune is still alive, as well, and in disguise—as is the fire-cat. When the taijiya and houshi became old, they entrusted her to him, and he places a concealment spell on the both of them, as I have done to myself." She gave a mute nod in reply. She hadn't really thought about it—how different Sesshomaru looked. She had immediately recognized him, even with his long, black hair and chocolate-brown eyes—and, of course, the absence of any youkai-like markings, such as the crescent moon on his forehead or the stripes on his cheeks…or the claws. She was more surprised now that even like this, he still seemed like _Sesshomaru_—and the look fit him.

"I'm glad Shippo is still alive," she finally said in response, a soft yet sad smile now in place. "Does he live anywhere near here?"

"He does. He still keeps an eye on their descendants, though there is not much need in this century." There was a long period of silence before Kagome lifted her eyes up to Sesshomaru's once more, and there was a certain amount of determination in them.

"I want to find them. Maybe once they'll see me, they'll remember me!" She stood up again, Sesshomaru's steady gaze never leaving her. "Or…maybe the jewel is still in my body! I could go back to the feudal era and meet everyone again!" The hope left her eyes almost as instantly as it had arrived there—mostly because of the way Sesshomaru was looking at her. Of all the things she'd seen in those eyes, pity had _never_ been one of them…until now. And she hated it.

"It will not be the same if you return," Sesshomaru stated at length. "Even if it's possible, Inuyasha already has the miko. The houshi and taijiya and kitsune already befriended her, and held her dear in their hearts. Surely they would receive you, but you would not be satisfied." As a small sigh escaped her lips, he knew that he had won—and was surprised at how hollow a victory it truly was.

"I know," Kagome finally said, sounding miserable as she slowly sunk into her seat. "Maybe I can just meet Shippo and Inuyasha in _this_ time, and befriend them again—though it won't be the same, either."

"Are you really so quick to become compared to the miko?" Sesshomaru's words cut her to the quick, but she had to agree that he was right. She had no desire to relive the experience of Inuyasha looking a Kagome and seeing Kikyo. And seeing him again and realizing, in person, that he _really_ didn't remember—that pain would be too much for her to bear at this point.

"No…" she said finally, and Sesshomaru watched her seemingly crumble before him. He recognized what he was seeing—Kagome's resolve to live was completely dissolving. He'd seen it many times in patients who had just been told that they had a slim chance of living—but for her, she was only eighteen. Her life should just be beginning—the most exciting part of her life shouldn't be over. He'd been preparing for this conversation for 500 years—but he hadn't expected that he would actually care about the outcome until now. Or maybe it was until 4 years ago, when he actually took the girl under his care, studying her and her scent, and knowing how when she woke up her life would be turned upside down.

"It would be unwise to try to seek out Inuyasha…but perhaps the kitsune is a different story." He knew she was desperate to grasp _something_, some sort of hope to hold on to, and he was at least trying to provide it for her. "He is very friendly, and I believe the two of you would get along. And since he was only a child when you remember him, you may not leave quite as dissatisfied."

Kagome's eyes widened in a mixture of disbelief and hope. _He's encouraging me to find Shippo? But…why?_ She said nothing, only nodding.

"Your brother is searching for you," Sesshomaru commented, and Kagome snapped out of her thoughts quickly. She had completely forgotten about everything except for Sesshomaru and the feudal era, and she hadn't even realized that it was getting late. She nodded again, standing up slowly and grabbing her purse. Before turning from him, she gave him another pleading look.

"Sesshomaru, please…come see me sometime. I need be reminded that someone remembers me—it makes me not feel so alone." When she received no response from the stoic taiyoukai, she chewed on her bottom lip nervously. "…please?"

After a moment's consideration, Sesshomaru gave a curt nod, and Kagome's broken face twisted into a smile—a _real_ smile. "Thank you," she breathed before turning and running out of the restaurant, to find a panicked Souta desperately searching for her.

* * *

**End Note: **So, I realized mid-chapter that I had never actually described what Sesshomaru looked like. I had it in my mind that he looked human, but never actually transferred it into the story--a rookie mistake, I believe! So, I corrected it in this chapter, though it seems kind of thrown in. D:

Please review, I read every one of them! (I usually try to reply, but I don't think I replied to any for the last chapter--I hope to get back into the habit of replying with this chapter!)


	5. Reunited

**Authors Note:** Well, I'm actually updating fairly soon after the last! In my opinion, anyway...how'd I do on time? Haha. Anyway, I'm not quite as pleased with this chapter as others, but I'm going through a bit of writer's block. And I start culinary school on March 29th...so I won't be able to update as much. So, I'm trying to get more things done while I can, though I hope the result isn't crappy writing. :/ Anyway, read and review please, and tell me what you think! :)

**Word Count: **1,132

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**Reunited**

"Umm…thank you, Hojo," Kagome said after a moment, studying the basket of fruit and protein mixes that was now resting safely in her hands. She was still in her pajamas, and she could've killed her grandfather for letting the persistent boy in.

"It will help you gain your strength back!" Hojo said cheerily, happy to see that Kagome was doing better now that she was out of her coma. Kagome smiled at him, a bit uncomfortably at that—she definitely wished she could go run off to the feudal era _now_, if to just get out of all this attention she'd been receiving. She had hardly been left alone since waking up—the most peace she had gotten was when she went to the mall with Souta and talked with Sesshomaru—but that had been two weeks ago.

"I really do appreciate it," she emphasized, and then put her hand on her head. "I think I should probably go lie down now, though." She glanced up at him to see if he was buying it—and it seemed like he was.

"Put the protein mixture in some water and drink it—it will help with your strength!" He grinned and waved, already heading off. "Feel better!" Kagome sighed and waved—he was so easy to convince. Now she would just have to make sure she didn't leave the house for a couple hours—_or_ she could just make sure that she went somewhere other than Hojo.

Deciding the latter option was more appealing, she went to the window to see which direction he was going—and almost laughed at how childish she felt. "What am I doing?" Faking illnesses, hiding from people—it's not like she _could_ go to the feudal era when life in this era was getting on her nerves. _This_ was her life now, and she was going to have to get used to it. "Ugh…I need to get out of the house," she murmured to herself before going to her room and changing.

* * *

"Oh, excuse…" Kagome started, turning to see who she'd bumped into in the CD store, her eyes widening when bright green eyes met her own. "…me," she breathed, sliding the headphones she'd been listening to the demo CD with off. It was actually him! She'd been looking for him since Sesshomaru suggested it, but she had met him when she least expected it—and when she _wasn't_ looking.

Shippo raised an eyebrow, somewhat confused at why she suddenly looked so started—he almost feared that he had let his disguise slip, though the reflection on the CD case he was holding told him differently. "It's no big deal." His eyes moved to the display case of the CD Kagome had been listening to, and he chuckled, tapping the title. "You don't exactly fit the 'screamo' stereotype, you know." She reminded him of Kikyo—and though at first Kikyo had given off a very depressing vibe, in the end she had turned out to be a really sweet person—and definitely not one who seemed like _she_ would like screamo music, had it existed in the time.

Kagome blushed, glancing at the CD and covering it up with a laugh. "I thought I'd try something new. Not my style?" She recovered from her shock quite nicely, and Shippo relaxed slightly when he saw how easygoing she seemed after initially bumping into him.

"Not quite—though it's not like I'd know." His joking was light, but seeing Kagome brought back so many memories—of Kikyo. She seemed familiar, although not entirely like Kikyo—her personality seemed lighter in a way that he couldn't really explain. But here he was assessing her and she'd hardly said to words to him…it was a strange feeling, but he instantly liked her.

Her eyes twinkled as she set the CD back down, crossing her arms in a somewhat playful way. "Well, you were right anyway. I'm Kagome." She held out her hand for him to shake—and he didn't miss the hopeful look in her eyes as she introduced herself. Was she…_flirting_? Of course Kagome didn't understand how her hopefulness could be misconstrued into something else—or even that she had let it show.

"My name's Shippo," he greeted back, taking her hand and shaking it, but also releasing it quickly after so that she didn't get the wrong idea. It was nothing against her personally—but there was no _way_ he could date someone that reminded him of Kikyo. It would just be too weird.

Kagome, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to how she had come off, and was only smiling at him—although he noticed the disappointment in her eyes and her scent, and suddenly he began to suspect that she hadn't been flirting with him at all, and that it was something else entirely. "It's so nice to meet you, Shippo."

"Likewise!" Shippo cheerfully agreed, and when Kagome's gaze lowered for just a moment too long, he put a hand on her shoulder and cocked his head to the side, slight worry on his face. "Hey…are you alright?" He wasn't sure why he was so worried at her apparent sadness, but for some reason he was.

"Oh…oh I'm fine." She decided to tell him the truth—or, at least, what everyone seemed to recognize as the truth. "I just came out of a four year coma, and I guess this life is just a little hard to…get used to."

Shippo's eyes widened. He hadn't expected _that_ answer. "O-oh," he murmured, and then gave her shoulder a light squeeze. "Well, you know what you need to do? Make up for all that time you lost." His eyes twinkled slightly as he put the CD he'd been holding up and grabbed her arm. "So let's go."

"…go? Go where?"

"To make up for lost time! Look, if you want to have a good time and forget about things for a little while, I'm definitely your guy. If you wanna mope around, then I know someone who'd be better company," he joked, and was pleased when he saw the light return to Kagome's eyes.

"Okay…you win. Let's go." There was an unreadable expression in her eyes for just a moment, but soon the happiness returned as she smiled. If she thought about the past Shippo—the one who she had basically considered a son, then she got sad. But if she could separate the two, then she could be happy, even if he never remembered her…right?

Pleased, Sesshomaru turned from his hidden position in the music store, not missing the glance that Shippo shot at him as he and Kagome left, and he knew that he'd be getting a visit from the kitsune before the day was over.


	6. Familiar

**Author's Note:** SO, here's the next update. Sorry the past couple chapters have been a little shorter than the others--I've been busy lately, plus I'm about to start school again. So...there's a lot going on! I'm also trying to stretch this to about 20 chapters, so I don't want to give away too much in each chapter. ;D

Also, I'd like to apologize for not answering all of my reviews I got for this. I'm having trouble keeping track. D:

Also, again--for those of you who read my Oneshot 'Figurine'--I got a couple of requests to continue it, and I think I'm going to. (For those of you who haven't but are interested--read it and review and tell me if I should! ^^; Though I'll admit--I probably will, because I enjoyed writing it so much and I think developing it a little more wouldn't hurt. ;D I also think it goes well as just a oneshot, though.) ANYWAY--onto the story~

**Word Count**: 1,575

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**Familiar**

"Okay, so what's the deal?" Shippo raised an eyebrow, imitating Sesshomaru almost perfectly—although his naturally boyish features kept him from looking anything like the daiyoukai. His face was serious, but he was _not_ good at hiding his emotions—surprise was more evident than seriousness.

Sesshomaru glanced up from his paperwork for only a moment before returning to it, barely paying the kit any mind until he had finished, applying his signature. "You have something you wish to discuss? Be more specific," he replied, only glancing up when Shippo gave a small sigh.

"The girl. Kagome. Why were you watching her…why did you want me to go with her?"

"You do not like her?" This time it was Sesshomaru's brow that raised, emotion completely removed from his face though there was a challenge in his voice.

"No, I like her a lot. We clicked. But that's not the point! You're not…trying to set me up, are you? With a _human_?" The notion was so unlike Sesshomaru that Shippo almost laughed when he was saying it—because mostly, he was just trying to irk Sesshomaru into telling him what was going on; he didn't _really_ believe that Sesshomaru was trying to set him up.

"And what if I am?" Sesshomaru smirked as Shippo's eyes widened, completely caught off-guard that Sesshomaru didn't deny it outright.

"That…that's not anything your authority is required for!"

"Relax, kit, I'm not trying to set you up. You really think I care for such insignificant details?"

"No." Shippo instantly relaxed. It wasn't an insignificant detail to _him_—if he ever mated, it wouldn't be chosen lightly. He'd already seen what pain could come from mating with a human; Inuyasha had gone through quite enough on that end—technically dead or not. "So, are you gonna tell me why you were following her? Or…us?"

Sesshomaru leaned back in his chair, taking his time to answer the question. When he did, all he offered was the simplest explanation—one that did not give Shippo much to work with. "She is my patient."

"You have sympathy for her?" Shippo's astonishment was not well hidden. Honestly, Sesshomaru becoming a doctor was surprise enough for him. He'd grown to tolerate humans, but that was about it—other than Rin five hundred years ago, Sesshomaru had not really shown compassion towards humans. So when he took up a profession that _saved_ humans, both Shippo and Inuyasha had become speechless.

"I do—she was a rare case. She was in that hospital bed for four years, in a coma." His face remained unchanged, though on the inside Sesshomaru was discerning just how much he should tell the kit.

Shippo nodded, his hands behind his back now. "She told me. She seemed upset about it," he supplied, hoping to get more out of the youkai than he was currently giving him.

"Does she remind you of anyone?" Sesshomaru suddenly asked, throwing Shippo off a bit.

"She looks almost exactly like Kikyo. Why?" It was barely there, but Shippo saw it—the same disappointment in Sesshomaru's eyes that had been in Kagome's when Shippo introduced himself. He couldn't help but wonder why; did this look of disappointment from both the human and the youkai actually mean something? Or was he imagining it?

"I have reason to believe that Kagome is the reincarnation of Kikyo." Sesshomaru glanced back down at his paperwork as he continued speaking. "She has miko abilities that come out when she feels…threatened. She almost singed me a few times while I was giving her medicine, in her unconsciousness."

"But she doesn't know?" Shippo's confusion weaved its way into his scent; what were the odds?

"She may. She murmured many things about youkai in her coma—I believe she knows more than we think. When you come to trust her…" His voice trailed off before Shippo's eyes widened even further.

"You want me to tell her I'm a youkai?! What if she purifies me?" Shippo blurted before Sesshomaru even had the chance to finish.

"You think she would?" countered Sesshomaru, sighing before picking up his pen, making it obvious that the two were almost done. He gave the kitsune no chance to answer before continuing. "All I'm saying, is that it might be nice to have a _human_ to confide in." With this, he began to write…but Shippo wasn't done.

"Easy for you to say—_you're_ not telling her that you're a youkai!"

"She already knows." He would not tell Shippo about the two alternate versions of reality that Sesshomaru had to live with—the past where Kagome was in the feudal era and the past without her—but he decided this was harmless enough for him to know. Or was it? He was sure that Shippo might believe him to an extent if he told him of Kagome's true identity, her true past—but the lines of reality were blurred too much for him to know for sure.

"You…told her?"

"Not in so many words." He looked up from his paperwork once more. "You will not regret befriending her, I'm sure," he murmured finally, waving his hand to dismiss Shippo from his office.

"All right," Shippo began, but didn't leave quite yet. "I have one more question." Sesshomaru's only indication that he heard him was inclining his head slightly. "You decided to extend your protection to me and Inuyasha right after Naraku was destroyed," he began—wondering exactly what Inuyasha might say to his choice of words, especially since Inuyasha didn't 'need protecting,' "But there's not anything in _this_ day and age to protect us from. Why do you keep tabs on us still?"

"It is not for your benefit, but for hers," was Sesshomaru's only reply, and he knew that Shippo would not yet understand it.

* * *

"You're really getting one of _those_ bozos to tutor you?" Shippo asked with a roll of his eyes as he looked at the list of numbers Kagome had accumulated of local tutors. Kagome smiled, shaking her head sadly as she set the piece of paper down and turned from the phone to the kit.

"This way, I won't have to go back to school—but I'll still have a degree. They're private tutors, who have the authority to administer tests and diplomas. Plus, I'll be able to do it in half the time!" Kagome's voice was cheerful, but Shippo could tell the prospect wasn't exactly exciting for her.

"Well, we all know that Hojo-dork will certainly come to your aide," Shippo said dramatically, clasping his hands together and looking up—causing Kagome to playfully shove him aside before giving an exasperated sigh.

"Shut up! Hojo is a really nice guy!"

"…who can't take a hint," Shippo supplied, causing Kagome to giggle.

"No…he can't. I could never be interested in someone like Hojo." Her voice dropped to a whisper, as if she was afraid he would overhear.

"Kagome, we're in your _kitchen_. He's not going to hear you!" He grinned, shaking his head as he tapped blunted fingernails on the table. "Anyway, if he's such a nice guy, why _couldn't_ you be interested in him?"

Propping her chin in her hand, Kagome thought for a few minutes. "He's sweet, really—but he doesn't hold any authority. He's open about his feelings, but he doesn't make me feel safe. He isn't confrontational—but I can never know if he's just agreeing to avoid arguments or because it's really what he believes. And…he's just too _normal_." She couldn't help but compare everyone to Inuyasha—it had only been three months since she returned to this era for good…or, as everyone else believed, woken up from her coma—certainly not enough time to get over the loss of her beloved hanyou. He had said he'd love her no matter what, but he forgot her—that's all she could see it as. She knew that the jewel had made it so that she was never there, so it wasn't really 'forgetting' her—but…Sesshomaru remembered. It didn't make sense, none of it—but that didn't matter. Life didn't make sense. "I don't think at this point I could be with someone normal," she confided, and then blushed at the strange look Shippo was giving her.

"So you're saying you want a controlling, argumentative freak?" He grinned, his bright green eyes shining with playfulness.

"Hm, I guess so. Don't forget over-protective," she teased, folding her arms and putting her head down on the table, still looking up at Shippo.

"Now, what exactly do you need protection from?" Ever since his meeting with Sesshomaru, Shippo had been trying to pry information from Kagome without her letting on—trying to figure out just how much she knew. But Kagome hadn't been giving him anything to work with—she'd been too worried at what reaction it might bring if she told him she knew about youkai.

"Monsters under my bed?" She let out another soft giggle before shaking her head. "I don't know. I just don't feel safe ever since…my, um, coma." Something about the way she said that made Shippo alert—but he didn't press any further. She seemed happier than she had when they met almost two months ago, and he was enjoying that—and even though he hadn't known her for long, she was constantly reminding him of someone, and everything just felt familiar and right. And, he realized, she wasn't reminding him of Kikyo one bit.

* * *

**End Note:** Read and review~ :)


	7. Encounter

**Author's Note:** Ta-da~! Another chapter. I'd like to make a small disclaimer just to say: I like Disney music; Shippo does not. So no offense to those of you who like it, because I do, too (for the most part). Anyway, this chapter came out to 6 pages! :o So I hope you all like it.

**Word Count: **3,411

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**Encounter**

"Kagome, sweetie—where are you headed off to today?" Mrs. Higurashi made sure to keep her tone light, not letting the hint of worry she felt taint her voice.

"Oh! Shippo and I are going to the mall. He said something about 'broadening my horizons' in the music world, and then we're gonna get some ice cream." She gave a one shouldered shrug as she searched through her purse, making sure she had her wallet with her. "It's the weekend, we figured it would be nice to do something other than him coming over and watching me do homework." She rolled her eyes slightly before giving a sigh. "Or, better yet, him _helping_ me with homework." The concept of _Shippo_ actually being able to help her with her homework still seemed amusing to her—while it was obvious that he wasn't the little boy she had grown to love in the Feudal Era, she couldn't help but always see that little boy in him. Though now he was the fully-grown youkai that she _still_ had grown to love.

"You know—you've been hanging around that boy an awful lot since you met him." The implications in her tone were enough to make Kagome gasp in surprise.

"_Mama_!" She dropped her purse on the table as she set her hands on her hips. "I'm only going to say this once—there is _nothing_ going on between Shippo and I. He is a good friend—my best friend—that's _it_. I could never fall for Shippo, it would just be too weird."

"Hmm…alright then, dear." Something in Kagome's tone told Mrs. Higurashi that she was certainly telling the truth. She gave a small smile as Kagome picked up her purse and shouldered it, her quick bit of temper already cooled when she realized her mother believed her. "Have fun now!"

"I will, Mama. Bye!"

* * *

"Geeze, Shippo, don't you think I have enough already?" Kagome's brow arched slightly as Shippo piled yet another CD onto the stack Kagome was carrying—that was already up to her chin.

"What? You were out of the loop for 4 years, you've missed a lot in the music world! Most of it is crap, but there are some good things." His eyes drifted over to the American section of music, and he started searching through it. He had to keep himself from rolling his eyes as he bypassed Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, certainly not wanting to introduce Kagome to _those_, but he pulled out a Coldplay CD and added it to the top of the stack. "I think one American group is enough for now," he said with a wink before gently turning her around and pushing her to the cash register.

"Uhh…hi!" Kagome said cheerfully as she set the stack down with somewhat of a tired huff, giving the cashier a smile as he began ringing the CDs up. She began ruffling through her purse until she found Shippo's hand covering the top of it.

"Nope!" He pulled out his own credit card and handed it to the cashier, winking at her. She gave him a small smile and a thank you, and he simply waved his hand like it was no big deal. "I got this," he told her afterwards, lifting the somewhat heavy bag with ease as they walked out together.

_He __is__ a youkai, after all—he's had 500 years to save up a ton of money, __and__ he's a lot stronger than a human. I guess it doesn't hurt to let him pay for this stuff, or carry it for me_. Truthfully, the two really did look like a couple—but neither one felt a thing for the other, except friendship. And neither of them would have had it any differently.

"Okay, now…ice cream!" Kagome smiled brightly as she pulled him halfway across the mall to the ice cream store—and she stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening slightly.

"Oh hey, Kagome!" Shippo started, though he noticed the shift in her scent from happiness to misery in less than a second, and with the look on her face—he wouldn't have even needed his nose to tell what she was feeling. And her eyes were locked directly on his friend and roommate…_Inuyasha_. "Kagome?" he asked again, shaking her a bit. "My friend is here; I think you two would really like each other!" _Why is she looking at him like that?_

"H-huh? O-oh…of course!" she stuttered, trying to regain some sense of composure as Shippo dragged her towards his oldest friend. Tears were threatening to brim, but she _had_ to get through this with her composure—it could give everything away!

"Inuyasha!" Shippo called, and the hanyou turned to give Shippo his full attention—though he'd already been eavesdropping, of course.

"Hey, Shippo!" he greeted, moving from the back of the shop to the front, weaving through the long line of people to get to his friend and the human. As soon as he focused in on her, though—he had to keep his eyes from widening. _She __does__ look like Kikyo…but…why is she looking at me like __that__?_

"Inuyasha! This is Kagome…Kagome, this is Inuyasha! He's the grump I was telling you about." Shippo gave a nervous laugh; he'd been afraid that this would happen—Inuyasha was goggling at Kagome like she was Kikyo. But he _hadn't_ expected Kagome's reaction—misery and fear…and…love? All three were obvious in her scent, and even in her eyes. _Perhaps this really is Kikyo's reincarnation—her reaction is the same as Kikyo's when she was first revived. But…she __wasn't__ Kikyo—that he was certain of._

"H-hey…" Kagome murmured, forcing a smile on her face for the sake of appearances. She knew they could probably tell her true emotions by her scent, but she wouldn't dwell on that. "It's nice to meet you…Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha shook his head, black hair whipping around as he did so. He gave a small grin as he held out his hand, nails blunted as he gave her a sincere smile. "Hey! Nice to meet ya, too! Sorry 'bout that, you reminded me of someone for a minute." By the magnitude of Kagome's sadness at his words, his eyes widened. _Um…maybe that wasn't the right thing to say?_

Kagome lifted a shaky hand and took his, giving it a small shake before forcing another smile on her face. Feeling his touch again, coupled with his words about how she reminded him of Kikyo—because she _knew_ that was what he meant even though he didn't say it—Kagome just couldn't handle it. She kept her fake smile on her face as she quickly pulled back her hand, looking from Inuyasha to Shippo hastily. "I, uh—just remembered something. I have to go, bye!"

She didn't wait for any response from either of them before literally running out of the shop. Tears blurred her vision as she ran out of the mall, hanging a left to go towards the park. She didn't care if anyone saw her, though she knew she couldn't explain the real reason why she was upset. Her body shook convulsively as she continued her run towards the park, only slowing down when she arrived. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she looked up to see if there was any place she could go to be alone, when she noticed a small grouping of trees that looked fairly deserted. It reminded her of the forest in the Feudal Era, though it was nowhere near as big, and she knew she wouldn't feel safe in the least. Still, she ran there as fast as she could, and as soon as she arrived she collapsed on the ground, letting her sadness consume her and her tears flow freely.

* * *

"Oi, what was that all about?" Inuyasha's brow arched in confusion as soon as Kagome left.

"I…I have no idea. She's randomly broken down a couple of times since meeting her—always assumed it was the coma. But, uh—that was the worst." He glanced down at the bag of her CD's that he was still holding before leaning closer to Inuyasha and lowering his voice to a whisper. "I mean, did you catch the misery in her scent?"

Inuyasha's nose twitched, and he nodded. "Oh yeah. Kinda hard to miss it, doncha think?" Shippo gave a grave nod, and it was obvious from _his_ scent that he was worried about the girl who had become his best friend.

"I thought she'd enjoy meeting you—but something was off." He sighed, pushing back his bangs with his hand and holding them atop his head for a moment. "Sesshomaru knows what's going on. But he won't tell me."

"Keh! Of course he won't." Inuyasha's voice immediately went sour at the mention of his brother. The two were sort of allies now, but they still harbored some disliking for one another. "Though I'm surprised he's taken interest in a human."

"He said she's a miko, like Kikyo. Thinks she's the reincarnation of her—'n I'm starting to believe him." He shot a glance at Inuyasha. "He also said she knows about youkai—and that she knows that _he_ is one. I'm thinkin' about telling her that I'm one soon, too."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "W-what? You haven't known her nearly long enough for that—doncha think it's a little dangerous?"

Shippo rolled his eyes. "Come _on_. If she knows that _Sesshomaru_ is a youkai, and hasn't purified the jerk, she's _not_ gonna purify me." He gave a small smirk as Inuyasha thought about it for a second, then gave a half-nod.

"Yeah, guess you're right." There was a moment of silence before Shippo spoke up again.

"Inuyasha…does she remind you of someone _other_ than Kikyo?" The sudden shift in Shippo's tone made Inuyasha realize he needed to take this conversation seriously.

"From the two seconds I saw her just now? No. Why?" Curiosity laced Inuyasha's tone as he arched a brow at Shippo.

"I keep having…dreams." He glanced around the ice cream shop, and though he was fairly positive no one was listening, he cocked his head to the door and lowered his voice even more. "Let's talk about this at home."

* * *

"Get up." Sesshomaru's deadly quiet voice was enough to make Kagome jump, though she didn't make any move to obey. Her body was retching; she had cried so much it had made her sick and yet she had nothing in her stomach to actually lose. She was still sobbing, though her tears had run dry, her face and clothes a mess from the dirt of the ground beneath her. She allowed herself to open her eyes just enough to look up at Sesshomaru, still dressed in his doctor's uniform, before shutting her eyes tightly and curling herself into more of a ball.

Sesshomaru sighed, glancing around the park to make sure no one was watching before sitting himself down and leaning against the tree. "You have seen Inuyasha." It was not a question, but a statement, and she only nodded, keeping her eyes closed.

_What does he care?_ It was Kagome's only thought as her mind swirled and her body retched, and she only wished she could calm down so she could actually talk to him. She _needed_ someone who remembered her right now—and Sesshomaru was the only one.

"I feared this might happen…but I suppose it was unavoidable." When Kagome made no move to answer, he sighed. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting his illusion slip and his original appearance become visible. Golden eyes peered over at her as he adjusted himself so that his back was to the park, and hidden from view by the tree. "Look at me, woman." His voice still held no emotion—no sense of compassion or sympathy—but his actions alone showed that he was at least trying to comfort her…to give her a little piece of the feudal era back.

It took her a moment, but Kagome was finally able to open her eyes—and the shock was enough to stop her from crying. He was…_Sesshomaru. As I remember him._ She wasn't able to speak right away, as she took deep, shaky breaths to calm her body down enough to stop the wretching. What she _needed_ was a hug—but she wasn't _about_ to ask for such a thing from _Sesshomaru_.

"S-Sesshomaru…" she finally managed to get out, and he inclined his head in her direction. "Thank you." Her voice was barely a whisper, and he inclined his head again. She pushed herself up shakily and scooted a little closer to him, mentally and physically exhausted for the time being. Surprisingly, he scooted over just slightly, allowing her to lean against the same tree he was. She had to resist the urge to lay her head on his shoulder, instead laying it back against the trunk of the tree. _Less comfortable, but certainly less humiliating._ "Please…tell me what you remember…" she whispered, closing her eyes, her voice pleading.

"Hnn." He was not particularly fond of this mood of Kagome's—it was generally she, not he, that had to carry the weight of the conversation. But she needed to be remembered—that much he knew. "You were…surprising, to say the least," he began, "first when you pulled Tetsusaiga out of the stone, and second when you managed to hit my armor with your arrow." A soft smile appeared on Kagome's face as he spoke, and he took it as a hint to keep going. "Beyond that, you were irritating, always calling for my worthless brother when you were in danger and always getting yourself captured or injured." A soft chuckle could be heard from her, and he was glad that mentioning Inuyasha didn't cause her to go into a fit again. He took a deep breath before closing his eyes, not particularly keen on admitting this next bit.

"And you were selfless. You would help anyone, even when they tried to kill you, and you gave everyone you met a second chance, some even a third. You were selfless even in making a wish on the shikon no tama; instead of wishing to be with my brother, you wished for everything to be as it should be."

"Y-you really think that, Sesshomaru?" Her voice was shaky and unsure. To hear _Sesshomaru_ say something like that to her was unbelievable—and certainly out of character for him. Perhaps he _had_ softened up a bit over the past 500 years.

He gave a small nod, though upon noticing Kagome's eyes were still closed, he decided to give a verbal answer. "Yes. Rin looked up to you." _Until she forgot you,_ he added mentally, but he wasn't about to actually say _that_ part of it.

"I'm glad." She gave a small but sincere smile before her shoulders sagged, her head falling over onto Sesshomaru's shoulder in spite of her earlier decision.

"Hn…she's asleep." He gave a small sigh before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, reinstating the illusion before he carefully picked her up and stood, taking a less-popular route to get back to her house.

* * *

"What happened?" Souta's eyes widened as he saw Sesshomaru coming in with his sister in his arms. _Thank goodness Mama is at the store. She'd freak if she saw this_!

Sesshomaru moved past Souta and to Kagome's room, gently laying her down on the bed. "She had a breakdown, I found her in the park." It was a simple answer, but one that didn't make Sota feel any better.

"A breakdown? But she was doing so well!" The speed with which Sesshomaru turned around to face Souta almost made him flinch.

"She was in a coma for four years, right?"

"R-right." _What kind of a question is that? He took care of her!_

"The name Inuyasha does not ring any bells with you?" Confusion covered Souta's face, and Sesshomaru sighed. _Apparently not._

"D-does he have…dog ears?" The uncertainty in Souta's voice was great, but Sesshomaru's eyes widened as he looked down at him.

"Yes. Explain."

"I…I've had dreams, for the past four years. When Kagome first got hospitalized, I…I thought she had gone missing for several days, and been in some sort of…feudal era." Souta blushed as he spoke, obviously embarrassed about the dreams. "My family thought I was crazy, so I realized that every time she 'came back' or Inuyasha came that I was dreaming. They were realistic, though, and I like that better than Kagome being stuck in a hospital room for four years." He gave a small shrug, eyes lowering. "I know they were just dreams, though. Every time we visited her in the hospital room, she was there."

"Good." Souta's eyes widened, more at the fact that Sesshomaru was _smiling_ than at his words. _I don't think I've ever seen Dr. Taisho smile…_he realized suddenly, and he just gave him a look of confusion.

"Good?" he repeated, uncertainty in his tone.

"Yes, good. Talk to your sister about the dreams. You will not regret it."

"O-okay…I will." He glanced down at his sister's sleeping form, frowning. "But…not today."

"Fair enough. I will return tomorrow evening to check on her. Tell her before my return." He didn't wait for Souta to agree before he exited, leaving the house in a hurry. He could smell Kagome's mother nearing, and he did not wish to speak with her at this moment.

* * *

"So…you've been dreamin' about her?" Inuyasha asked in disbelief, before the door to their apartment was even closed. Both males let their illusions slip as soon as the door was closed, and Inuyasha's ears were twitching with interest.

"Not only that. But I've been dreaming about her in the _feudal era_."

"That's just because of Kikyo," Inuyasha said after a moment, but Shippo shook his head viciously.

"No. They were both there. But Kagome was the one traveling with us, not Kikyo. I always sat in her arms or on her shoulder." His brows furrowed as he looked down at his feet, plopping down on the couch with a sigh. "But then it always switches to this time, and Kagome how she is now. The same, but sadder. I just don't get it."

Inuyasha shrugged, sitting on the couch as well. "Shippo, she looks like Kikyo. You're just relating her to the feudal era 'cause that's when Kikyo was alive—well, sorta, anyway." _She was alive to me._ "Kikyo would also always hold you, along with Sango. Though you were with Sango more," he admitted.

Shippo sighed. He supposed that could be it, but in his dreams his affection for Kagome was always much more magnified than his affection for Kikyo had ever been. He couldn't really explain it, though. "Ehh—you're probably right. It just seems too real and I don't know why. I'm really worried about her, though—I've never seen her so upset."

Inuyasha gave a one-shouldered shrug as he flipped on the TV. "Hn, I'm sure you'll see her tomorrow; you gotta give her back her CDs anyway. You can check on her then."

Shippo gave a small nod, wishing that Inuyasha could understand _why_ he didn't think his dreams were in any way related to Kikyo. For one thing, the shikon no tama was involved—and shattered. It was completely different from how it had been, yet somehow the same. He didn't know, really. "Uhh, yeah. But maybe you should stay away 'til I figure out what the deal is. Maybe you look like an ex or something."

"Keh, I know the feeling," Inuyasha murmured as he stared at the television. "Th' way she looked at me, I wouldn't be surprised."

Shippo nodded, standing up and stretching as he gave a yawn. "Alright—I'm gonna head to bed now."

"It's like, 8:30!" Inuyasha protested, flabbergasted as to why Shippo would want to go to bed so early.

"I'm tired." Shippo simply shrugged as he walked past the TV, his tails trailing behind him. _And I want to dream again_, he added silently. _I want to find out what's going on._ He glanced back at his friend and gave a fanged grin before going into his room and shutting the door. He let out a small breath as he leaned against the wood, closing his eyes. _And I'm going to tell her I'm a youkai tomorrow._

_

* * *

_

**End Note:** Okay, so I apologize if Sesshomaru was a little ooc (out of character). I really wasn't sure how to make him react, but I also wanted to show that he _has_ softened up at least a little over the years, and that in his own strange way he does care about Kagome. Just to remind you all, this is a Sesshoumaru x Kagome fic, _not_ a Shippo x Kagome fic, so all implications towards a relationship _there_ is only to show that there definitely isn't. I think Mrs. Higurashi is the last one I'm going to have ask if they are something, because--well, you know how mothers are. :)

Anyway...Read and review please! I'm super busy so I haven't been replying to every one, I'm getting lots of them now and I'm really glad about that! :D Though it does mean that it's a little tough to reply to all of them, but I do read every single one of them!


	8. Truth Revealed

**A/N:** Okay, so yet again, it's been far too long since I update. But! I have excuses! Excuse number one: I recently got engaged. :) (Insert ooooh's and aaaah's here) The wedding isn't until May 2012 due to both of us being in school, which brings me to excuse number two: Culinary school is VERY time consuming. I'm finally in baking, which is good since that's what I want to do, but there's other classes I have to take which take up a lot of writing time. Excuse number three: my muse has been shot recently. Okay, end excuses.

**Word Count:** 1,985

Hope you enjoy! :)

Edit: Special thanks to **Cassie M. M. **for letting me know in her review that the format of the story messed up. It wasn't that way when I saved it, and so now (hopefully) it's fixed-that's my goal, at least!

* * *

**Truth Revealed**

"Well, good morning to you too!" Inuyasha mumbled as he shot a bewildered glance at his long-time friend and roommate. He couldn't understand it—Shippo was always in a good mood, and annoyingly so. It was Inuyasha's job to be the grump in the household, and Shippo's mood was just uncharacteristic, not to mention unsettling.

Shippo rolled his eyes as he wolfed down some cereal in record time, seemingly completely focused on the puzzle on the back of the cereal box. "Sorry, just had a bad night's sleep is all." He mumbled the half-truth quietly, and Inuyasha didn't smell the subtle difference between truth and half-truth. Sometimes, Shippo was _very_ grateful Inuyasha was a hanyou. Shippo actually slept great, but the absence of any dreams involving Kagome and the feudal era was enough to ruin his morning.

"Keh," was Inuyasha's only response, but it was enough to give Shippo reason to smile. No matter what was going on, Inuyasha was _always_ the same—the sense of stability was certainly nice, especially given that Shippo had been having an uneasy feeling since his dreams about Kagome. Not to mention his nervousness about finally telling her that he was a youkai; she'd become one of his best friends, and Sesshomaru—who was decidedly extremely cautious even about meaningless decisions, like what socks to wear—said that she knew about youkai, and that she even knew Sesshomaru was a youkai. So he knew she wouldn't purify him, but he was worried about what she might say—if she knew he was a youkai already, would she be mad he hadn't told her yet? If she _didn't_ know, would she see him differently?

"You're too quiet today," Inuyasha observed as a black brow shot up, and then his mouth dropped open. "You're going to tell her today!" he accused, and when he realized Shippo wasn't arguing with him, his usual scowl returned. "I still think it's a bad idea."

"Well then, I guess we'll see who's right," Shippo said with a smirk. "I only plan to tell her of myself. But if she really is a miko, then she probably already knows that the both of us are youkai anyway. But I'll bet she'd appreciate me telling her myself."

"But what if she doesn't even realize?" Inuyasha protested, but he knew by now arguing with Shippo was a lost cause—much like himself whenever _his_ mind was set on something.

"Sesshomaru seems to think that she knows, and he doesn't really do a lot of 'guessing,' y'know?" The sparkle in Shippo's eyes was _almost_ back, which was much better than his mood just two minutes ago, so Inuyasha sighed in defeat. Shippo was annoying enough when he was in a _good_ mood, but the unsettling feeling Inuyasha got when something was actually _troubling_ Shippo was something that was much worse than being irritated. And although he'd never admit it, he actually _enjoyed_ Shippo's usual happy mood.

"Alright then. But don't go complaining if she tries to purify you or somethin'."

"Duly noted." Shippo smirked before re-establishing his illusion, making himself appear human once more just before leaving to go to Kagome's.

* * *

"So you're saying that you had dreams of me in some sort of feudal world?" Kagome said slowly, disbelief on her face. He actually…remembered? Souta kept his eyes on the ground, completely convinced she was about to laugh at how ridiculous it sounded. Why had Dr. Taisho wanted him to tell her if she was just going to laugh?

But Kagome's next action completely took Souta off guard. "H-huh?" His eyes widened as he was suddenly in Kagome's arms, being squeezed tightly in the most enthusiastic hug she'd given him since waking up from her coma. "Ka…gome?"

"It wasn't a dream," she mumbled into his shoulder, reluctant to let go. She did so anyway, pulling back so that she could look Souta in the eyes, and he could see that her eyes were shining with unshed tears—tears of happiness. "Do you remember me talking about the Shikon No Tama? And collecting the shards?"

Dumbly, Souta nodded his head, only half-comprehending what she was saying. Maybe Kagome was as crazy as he felt.

"We finally collected all the shards and defeated Naraku. Inuyasha was dying, and I had to make the wish quickly—an unselfish wish. So…I wished that everything would be as it should be. It resulted in me ending up in a coma rather than going to the feudal era, Kikyo being the one to release Inuyasha from her spell, and…and everything taking place without me." She resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands. "Kaede remembered, and so did Sesshomaru—erm, Dr. Taisho—and apparently you remembered, too!" She blinked a few times, realizing that Souta was staring at her like he couldn't hear what she was saying.

"Souta?"

He shook his head, his eyes widening as the full weight of what she had just told him settled in. The fact that he wasn't crazy and that it had actually _happened_ amazed him, and then he just smiled. "Kagome, I'm so happy that it happened! I hated being so confused, seeing you one day going off to the feudal era and the next seeing you in a coma. It just seemed so…not right." He lowered his eyes for a moment. "But…you were both, weren't you? Both in the coma and in the feudal era at the same time."

Kagome nodded. "And the coma was more real to most people than me going to the feudal era. And easier to believe, too." She took a deep breath. "The little kitsune I always talked about—that's Shippo, who's been over so much. And Inuyasha—he's still alive, too. I met him yesterday. Neither of them remember me, and I met Inuyasha for the first time yesterday…hence the breakdown." It seemed so much easier to talk about it now, so much easier than when she felt like her world crashed down when Inuyasha's only thought about her was that she reminded him of Kikyo. But someone else _remembered_! It was too good to be true. It made yesterday seem like such a small bump in the road.

"We have to tell Mom!"

Kagome shook her head sadly. "Do you think she'd believe us? She'd probably relate it to psychological issues." Souta sighed, knowing she was right. "And anyway, I…I can handle it. Everyone forgot me, but it's only because I was never supposed to be there in the first place." She knew she was just lying to herself, but she kept up her happy façade for her brother's sake. "And Shippo and I are really good friends, just like we used to be." _Not quite like we used to be—we didn't used to have secrets._

"Yeah…I guess you're right," Souta reluctantly agreed, standing up from her bed as the doorbell rang. Kagome got a peculiar look on her face—she was supposedly supposed to stay in bed according to 'Dr. Taisho,' and so she hadn't made plans with anyone. "I'll get it." He was out the door before she could protest.

* * *

"Shippo, what a surprise!" Kagome beamed from her position on the bed, only slightly embarrassed that she was still in her pajamas—and that her hair was probably a mess.

"Confined to the bed?" Shippo asked with a small smirk, but something seemed off about it. He seemed nervous about something. She decided to let it slide and ignore it as she laughed slightly.

"Yeah, it was a hard day yesterday. Dr. Taisho found me in the park, and I guess I fell asleep talking to him. When I woke up this morning, I had a note on my bedside table telling me I wasn't allowed to go out today." She gave a one-shouldered shrug, trying to dismiss it as nothing, but Shippo wasn't about to let her off _that_ easy.

"Yeah…what was _that_ about? You ran off yesterday and really got me worried, but I got the idea you really didn't want to be followed."

Kagome shook her head—she really didn't know what to tell him. "I—I don't know. I met your friend, and it reminded me of—" she stopped, knowing she couldn't tell Shippo. It would sound ridiculous. "—it reminded me of a dream from my coma…that's all. I felt like it sent me back to step one, but I'm better now, I promise."

Shippo could still smell the sadness of her scent, but he knew she wasn't wanting to tell him whatever the real issue was. A red flag went off in his mind when she mentioned the 'dream'—particularly because _he_ had dreams involving her. But that wasn't why he came here—he came here to check on her, and more importantly, to follow through with Sesshomaru's advice. Well, at least the advice that Sesshomaru _almost_ gave.

"Kagome, I came here to tell you something," he began, deciding to just cut to the chase, and hopefully distract Kagome with whatever was making her scent sad. If Kagome would've followed his train of thought, it probably would've reminded her of the child Shippo she knew and loved in the feudal era—such a simple reason with pure motives.

"What happened?" Kagome's eyes widened slightly at the sudden shift in Shippo's mood. Had this been the feudal era, her first thought probably would've been, _What has Inuyasha done now?_ But she knew it wasn't the case—things were so different now, yet somehow just the same.

"N-nothing," he mumbled, running his fingers through red hair as he let out a sigh. How was he supposed to say it? Or he could just…

Kagome gasped as Shippo's heart took care of the decision his mind was still trying to process, accidentally letting the illusion slip right before Kagome's eyes. The thought had barely passed through his mind when he did it, like his body took control—but he didn't do anything to hide his true self from her again. He studied her face carefully—and he liked what he saw.

Her eyes brightened, and all sense of sadness left her scent completely. Not long after, a bright smile stretched across her face, and she soon mirrored the Kagome he'd seen in his dreams exactly. "Oh, Shippo!" Her voice was filled with as much happiness as her scent was, and Shippo breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're taking this rather well," he mused, his attitude shifting back to what could only be classified as Shippo.

Her smile only widened. "I know about youkai. But I have to admit, you hid your aura well."

"You knew, didn't you?" His eyes were twinkling almost as much as hers were.

She shrugged, but her smile told all. "It seems as though I'm drawn to youkai. It's easy for me to tell. You, Dr. Taisho…Inuyasha," she murmured, glancing up at him to see if she was surprised that she knew his friend was a youkai.

"Hm, not quite!" Shippo beamed, seemingly unphased.

"Right, Inuyasha is a hanyou. The youki is slightly different," she said with a wink. Shippo couldn't seem to feel like she was still taking this too well, and that she knew too much—but he tried not to dwell on it. It was probably just his dreams making him want to see something more, anyway.

Kagome reached over and put her hand on Shippo's shoulder, smiling. "I'm so, _so_ glad you trust me enough to tell me yourself, though."

Shippo smiled back, moving to sit down on her bed, completely in ease without having to hide himself. "I had a feeling you would be."

* * *

**End note:** Please review! I hope you enjoyed. I was actually somewhat disappointed in this chapter; I felt like I was just pushing through. And yes, I realize Sesshomaru has played a small part recently, and I apologize. I promise there will be more in the coming chapters, now that Shippo's main part is over (though he will still be in the fic a fair bit, so no worries there!)

Oh, and I have a couple stories in the making. I'm working on a continuation of Figurine (my Kouga + Kagome oneshot for those of you who haven't read it), as well as an Inuyasha + Kagome fic in a high school setting. Also, I'm toying around with the idea of doing a couple fics starring original characters-remaining true to canon, or at least the most of it. But I'd love to know your all's (honest) opinions on that, and if you'd be interested in a Sesshomaru-OC pairing which will end in an Inuyasha-OC pairing (which is when it will diverge from the canon of the manga/show). The other fic will be about Naraku, and how he came to be...well, Naraku. :)


	9. House Call

**A/N:** First off, I should probably apologize to those of you who received a notification for a new chapter-and found that you had already read it. ;) That was an accident on my part; I got confused when trying to edit a different story and accidentally deleted the last chapter. That has been fixed (thank goodness I didn't delete the file here, so even the author's note was the same!) and now...here's another chapter for those of you who might've been disappointed by my mistake.

I'm also going to apologize for the short length of this chapter. I wanted to get this little encounter out of the way - but also, it was written at about 2 in the morning, so I didn't have much muse to put anything else in here. I also didn't want to keep you all waiting for the longer chapter. ;) The next one will be greater in length, I know!

ONE MORE THING. This story has been lacking in updates not because I haven't been writing, but because I've been writing...other things. ;P My most recent (and more frequently updated) stories are: _Twisted Fate_, a story about Onigumo's childhood, and my detailed version of his transformation from Onigumo to Naraku (After _Twisted Fate_ is finished, it will branch off into another story, _Intertwined_, which is going to be the story of Naraku's daughter - and how she brings Sesshomaru and Inuyasha together. It _will_ end up being a romance, so those of you completely opposed to characters having OC romance, I would either caution you to steer clear from the story...or prod you to give it a chance. ;D); _Conquered_, a story about Kagome as a nurse and Sesshomaru as her patient (inspired by my parents' relationship and following the dokuga_contest's prompts for drabbles and oneshots); and lastly _Sweet Sensations_, a story about Kagome and Sesshomaru being stuck together as partners in their cooking labs for culinary school. The last only has one chapter so far, but it will end at ten and be updated _fairly_ frequently. Also, I have other stories in mind: a continuation of _Figurine_ (which I _have_ been slowly working on; I promise) and a Kagome x Inuyasha fic in a high school setting. The document's up on that one, but it is completely blank at the moment-I'm working on it. ;)

_Twisted Fate_ is updated on Sundays & Wednesdays, and _Conquered_ will be updated on Fridays. Those are the only set times; the rest will be sporadic.

And now that the author's note is officially longer than the chapter... ;)

Do enjoy!

**Word Count:** 683

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**House Call**

The sun had not been set for long when Sesshomaru caught the familiar scent of his most important—and most troublesome—patient entering the hospital. Checking his watch, he shook his head softly before he put down his pen. His appointments were over for the day, but he had been neglecting his paperwork. Knowing that the miko was making her way to his office right now, he doubted he'd make any progress tonight.

"Kagome?" His smooth voice carried throughout the office, and soon the girl opened the creaky door slowly, stepping in. He could tell from her scent that she was more at peace then the last time he had seen her, and he couldn't help but feel relief.

_Because she's a patient. That's why._

Upon studying her further, however, he realized that her scent was still laced with sadness, despite the happy façade she was putting on, even with him right now.

"Hey, Sesshomaru." She paused for a moment, and at his indication, she took a seat on the other side of his desk.

"I wasn't expecting to see you until next month," he commented lightly, completely focused on her rather than acting dismissively like he always had before. It was really strange for Kagome to think about; as reserved as the taiyoukai still was, he was immensely different from the vicious youkai who had tried to kill her in the feudal era.

"I thought…I thought I'd make a house call?" she said lamely, and it came out as more of a question than an explanation. Her surprise was evident when she actually heard a chuckle escape from Sesshoumaru's lips.

_A chuckle? I've __never__ heard him laugh before!_

"You do realize it's the doctor who makes the house call, and not the patient." He raised an eyebrow as he spoke, and Kagome's shoulders sagged. He was…teasing her? It may have been true enough, however funny the notion, but she just wasn't up to it tonight.

"I know." When her scent carried even more sadness, the amusement in Sesshomaru's eyes vanished and he let out a sigh.

"What's wrong, Kagome?"

She still wasn't used to him saying her name—but she shook that off and took a deep breath, completely prepared for him to shoot her down when she gave him this little…proposal.

"I have a request," she began, her words drawn out as she glanced up at Sesshomaru to gauge his reaction. He was staring at her, waiting patiently for her to continue. She took in another deep breath, and this time it seemed like her words just wouldn't stop tumbling out. "Shippo told me earlier today that he was a youkai—which of course I already knew and it made me really happy that he told me. But…it still isn't the same. Shippo and I are best friends; we're close like we were in the feudal era. But every time I look at him I see this little kitsune that always stayed close to me, and he's an adult now—he's independent and…the same, but different." Her shoulders sagged again at her horrible explanation, and she saw that Sesshomaru was still staring at her, calm as ever—and wondering where exactly this was going.

"My request is…to see the one person who actually _remembers_ everything more frequently." After all, even though Souta remembered everything, he hadn't actually _been_ in the feudal era.

Sesshomaru did a pretty good job at not showing his surprise at the girl's request, though silence stretched for a few moments before he could find the words to give her a response. "Your request is to spend time…with me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice, and Kagome relaxed slightly that he didn't say no outright.

"Yes. You're…you're the only one who _really_ knows what I've been through. You're the only one who knows that I wasn't in a coma. You didn't really know me back then—but, still, you _remember_ me."

Sesshomaru glanced out to the moonless sky for only a moment before responding. "How does once a week sound?"

Kagome released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, and her brilliant smile was the only answer Sesshomaru needed.

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**End Note:** Please review! I really do enjoy reading what each and every one of you have to say. :)


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